Chelsea Middle School renovations wrapping up in September

A handful of construction and renovation projects at Chelsea Middle School kicked off in January, and they’re now nearing completion.

By September, the school will have a new front entrance, two new hallways, a renovated gym and renovated bathrooms.

“I think it will, if anything, modernize our facility to accommodate our growing numbers,” said Principal Andrew Gunn. “We’ll be at over 1,000 students this year, and if the community keeps growing … it will accommodate for that growth.”

Since its construction, Chelsea Middle School’s building has housed several different schools. It started as Chelsea School, a kindergarten through 12th grade institution. It has also held Chelsea Intermediate, which is now part of Chelsea Middle, and has undergone several renovations.

“It’s really a history of construction if you look at it,” Gunn said.

Gunn said these changes should help carry the school into the future, even if the community continues to grow. The building should accommodate up to 1,200 students, he said, and unused space from the Chelsea Intermediate facility will be considered if growth continues past that point.

Changes to the school range from laying new tile on the floors and new nameplates on office doors to gutting and renovating the bathrooms. Bathrooms were taken “down to the cinder blocks” and will have new tile, toilets and sinks.

The cost of the projects totals to $2.25 million, Gunn said, which is divided between last fiscal year and the current fiscal year.

Two additional hallways will help increase connectivity between the building which formerly housed Chelsea Intermediate and the middle school, Gunn said, and changes to the front entrance will also help improve the face of the building.

“That’s really going to help aesthetically, and it provides more cover and shelter on the front of the building,” Gunn said.

Changes to the front entrance and gym will be done before school starts back on Aug. 12, and the rest of the projects will wrap up in September.

“We’re excited about it, and we know that with construction there’s always going to be some headaches, but the temporary pain is well worth it,” Gunn said.